Coal-car cover



w. A. ROYSTER. COAL CAR COVER.

APP LICATION FILED FEB. I7, 1920.

1,357,119, Patnted Oct. 26,1920.

my Iii/Mm A. fiayszer 235 wmw 60 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM A. ROYSTER, 013 DETROIT, 'MICHIGAN.

COAL-GAR covnn.

Specification of Letterslatent. I Patented Oct. 26, 1920.

Application filed February 17, 1920.v .Serial no. 359,304.

To e25 to hem c'Z' may concern: Be it known that 1, WILLIAM A. RoYsrnn,a citizen of the United States, residing at Detroit, in the county of"Wayne and State ofMichigan, have invented certain new and usefulImprovements in Coal-Car. Covers, of which the following isiaspecification.

This invention relates to coal car covers and the object thereof is toprovide a cover for a coal car of simple construction and operationwhich can be easily moved into the invention herein disclosed may bemade within the scope of what is claimed without departing from thespirit of the invention. In the accompanying drawings: Figure lrepesents a top plan viewv of a coal car cover constructed in accordancewith this invention.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation thereof.

Fig. 3 is a transverse vertical section thereof. 1

Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view'showing one of the slats and itssupport arranged in juxtaposition ready for assembling.

Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a portion of one of the hinge rods atits support; and

Fig. 6 is a detail perspective view of one end of the run-way.

In the embodiment illustrated, a cover 1 constituting this invention iscomposed of a plurality of semi-circular supporting members 2, which arepreferably constructed of iron or steel, and spaced longitudinally, anydesired number being employed according to the length of the car onwhich the cover is to be mounted. Four of these supports 2 are hereshown and end supports 2 are used in connection therewith to support thelongitudinally disposed spaced slats 3 which have reduced tongues 3 attheir terminals adapted to fit in correspondingly shaped slots 3 in theend members 2, as is shown I clearly in. Fig. 4;. These slats 3may besecured to the intermediate supports 2-by any suitable means.

End-bars or slats 4 are secured to the end members 2, as shown clearlyin Fig. 3, to

form closures for the end of the cover and prevents access to the car atthese points. Theslats 3 and 4t arespacedapart a suflicient distance topermit the contents of the car to be seen-therethrough butare closeenough to prevent pieces of coal from being extracted between them orfrom being shaken out through the spaces between the slats when the caris in motion.

A rod 5 is arranged along one side edge of the cover 1 to form a hingepintle and the endsof this rod have reduced extensions 6 to fitsimilarly shaped apertures 7 in the end supports 2, as is shown clearlyin Fig. 5.,

The 03.1 c on which this cover 1. is to be I mounted is provided alongits upper edges with laterally extending flanges15 on which the sideedges of the cover are designed to rest when in closed position, as isshown clearly in Fig. 3, and hinge members 8 are secured to one of theseflanges, said members being here-shown in the form of U- shaped staplesthrough which the rod or pintle 5 passes. Locks 9 are designed toconnect the other side edge of the cover 1 to the flange 15 on theopposite side of the car so as to prevent the cover from being opened byunauthorized persons.

A. running-board 10 is designed to be mounted on the crest ofthissemi-circular cover 1 to provide for a brakeman passing over aCilI',WhlCll 1S often found necessary.

This board 10 may be of any suitable or desirable width and is providedon its lower face with a plurality of longitudinally extending grooves11 and 12 which are designed to fit over the slats of the cover, asshown clearly in Fig. 3, the central groove 11 being rectangular inshape to snugly fit thecentral slat of the cover, while the grooves 12are inclined to fit the adjacent I slats on opposite sides of thecentral slat to which this board 10 is to befapplied. The board 10 maybe secured to the slats by any suitable means, screws 13 being hereshown for this purpose.

In the use of this cover, the hinge pintle or rod '5 is connected withone side flange 15 of the car by the hinge members or staples 8, so thatwhenit is desired to load or unload thecar the cover may be swung v openclear of the top thereof and hang down at the side of the car C. WVhenin closed position it fits snugly over the car top and is secured by themembers 9 which may be of any suitable or desired construction.

From the foregoing description taken in connection with the accompanyingdrawings, the ilClVlHtflgGS of the construction and of the method ofoperation will be readily apparent to those skilled in the art to whichthe invention appertains and while I have described the principle ofoperation of the invention, together with the crevice which I nowconsider to be the best embodiment. thereof, I desire to have itunderstood that he device shown is merely illustrative and that suchchanges may be made as are within the scope of the claimed invention.

Havin thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desireto secure by Letters Patent, is:

1. A coal car cover comprising a plurality of longitudinally spacedtransversely extending semi-circular supports, longitudinally extendingslats mounted on said sup ports and secured thereto, cross-bars closingthe ends of said cover, and means for hingedly connecting one side edgeof said cover to a car and locking means for the other side edge, and arunning board mounted on the crest of said cover, said board havinglongitudinal grooves on its lower face to interlockingly engage theslats of the cover.

longitudinallyextendingslats mounted on said supports and securedthereto, and a running board mounted on the crest of the cover, saidboard having longitudinal grooves on its lower face to interlockinglyengage the slats of the cover.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

WILLIAM A. ROYSTER \Vitnesses: V

FRED L. KELLER, LoUisER. MILLER.

